Canadian Motorcycle Rider spied an all-new 450cc Husqvarna MX bike testing in italy. The Husky appears to be equipped with the same 450cc four-stroke engine as the BMW G450X, which is actually manufactured for BMW by Kymco. In the Bimmer, the DOHC, four-valve thumper makes a seriously impressive 52bhp and 32lb/ft of torque when equipped with a competition exhaust. >

BMW, which bought Husqvarna in 2007, also appears to be sharing theG450X's concentric swingarm pivot/front sprocket, an arrangement whicheliminates the effects of chain tension on suspension movement, allowing the rear suspension to work better and improving the bike's ruggedness.

While both this new Husqvarna and the G450X use tubular steel frames, it looks like Husky has developed its own rather than borrowing BMW's.Note the Husqvarna's lack of a diagonal cross member, like the BMW uses.

Since this 450cc engine is already approved for road use, don't expectthis to be the last Huqsvarna engine to use it. A supermoto would be the logical next step, but we're holding out for the funky KTM Duke-styleHusqvarna SMQ.